STEVENS CONSTRUCTION A groundbreaking ceremony on March 28 kicked off construction on the new Shalimar Beach Resort on Sanibel.

Attended by owners, city officials and project partners, a groundbreaking ceremony on March 28 kicked off construction by Stevens Construction on the Shalimar Beach Resort on Sanibel.

The first ground-up resort to begin construction after Hurricane Ian, it will be 52,207 square feet with multiple buildings that will offer several accommodation options. The resort will include: a 27,334-square-foot, two-story building with 21 hotel rooms, situated over parking; a 6,032-square-foot, two-story fourplex building with two one-bedroom and two, two-bedroom two-bathroom cottages over covered parking; four duplex buildings with one-bedroom cottages over covered parking; and an office manager’s suite over parking that is adjacent to the office and lobby.

Slated for completion in the fall of 2025, all 33 units will include fully equipped kitchens, tile flooring throughout and screened balconies with views of the Gulf of Mexico. Originally established in 1959, the resort will also feature a pool, a rooftop terrace, laundry facilities and a boardwalk to the Gulf.

The newly constructed resort will also feature an enhanced structural design that provides additional resistance to inclement weather as all of the buildings will be 6 feet above base flood elevation.

Stevens Construction reported that owner Sean Niesel was forced to rebuild after Ian washed away the previous resort. He reached out to the company after the new resort was already designed but over budget. Stevens Construction spent six months working with Niesel and the architect to identify ways to save money within the existing design and found $1.4 million in cost-savings in the plans.

PHOTO PROVIDED A rendering of the new Shalimar Beach Resort on Sanibel.

The Stevens Construction team includes Director of Preconstruction Nick Burkel, estimating engineer Evan Lopes, project manager Mike Brooks, superintendent Tom Porter and project administrator Kelsey Pojofsky. Architecture Joyce Owens is the architect of record.

The Shalimar Beach Resort is at 2823 W. Gulf Drive, Sanibel.